Who has ever heard of using sweet tea to brown the thanksgiving turkey? According to Head Chef Hugh Acheson, Top Chef judge and successful owner of two Georgia restaurants, once you use his sweet tea recipe you will toss any other recipes you have.
Acheson started out in the restaurant business when he was only 15 years old. Since then he has developed into a critically acclaimed Chef and television personality. Acheson has had the great opportunity of working under Chef Rob MacDonald, where he learned his French Cuisine, wine and etiquette. His blog says he brings his own style to any table by, ". . .forging together the beauty of the South with the flavors of Europe."
Everyone knows that the most important dish on the thanksgiving table is the turkey. Therefore, featured is a great recipe with instructions on how to make a turkey that will leave the whole family coming back for seconds!
Keeping the heart of the South in his cooking has remained important to Acheson. His sweet tea recipe is a golden testament to that fact. Whether you are a head chef, a home cook, or barely know your way around the kitchen, the following recipe is easy to make and sure to be a crowd pleaser.
The Early Show on CBS featured Acheson's recipe:
RECIPES FOR ROASTED SWEET TEA BRINED TURKEY
Brine For Turkey
1 gallon sweet tea
1 cup kosher salt
3 navel oranges, scrubbed and sliced thinly
2 tablespoons toasted coriander seed
1 teaspoon black peppercorns
2 bay leaves
8 cups ice
12-14 pound turkey, thawed, rinsed, innards removed, and patted dry
Bring the tea to a boil and add the salt, orange slices, coriander seeds, peppercorns and bay leaves. Cook until salt is thoroughly dissolved. Remove from heat, add ice and cool.
When the brine is totally cool, place the brine in a 2 ½ gallon bucket and immerse your thawed bird in the brine and cover with plastic wrap. Let brine for 16 hours or so, but at least 10, in a cool spot (38-45F) preferably the fridge.
For Cavity of Turkey1/2 teaspoon salt
freshly ground pepper
1 large apple, quartered
1 yellow onion, peeled and cut into quarters
2 branches celery, cut into 3 inch pieces
2 sprigs fresh thyme
1 sprig rosemary
4 sprigs fresh parsley
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
Preheat oven to 450 degrees F. Put the racks as low as possible in the oven.
Remove the bird from the brine and pat dry. Season inside and out with the salt and some pepper. Toss the apple, onion, celery, thyme, rosemary, and parsley in a large bowl and then shove into the bird's cavity. Loosen the breast skin from the breast meat by sliding your hand between them. Press butter into the void created, one tablespoon per side. Truss the turkey legs together for even cooking.
Roast the turkey at 450 for about 30 minutes and then lower heat to 350 and roast for about two hours until the temperature at the thickest part of the leg registers 160F on a meat thermometer.
Enjoy your time in the kitchen with Chef Acheson's Southern recipe. Have a safe and happy holiday!
At A Glance:
Sweet Tea Brine for Thanksgiving Turkey
Holiday Fun with Chef Hugh Acheson's Southern Recipe
Easy How To Instructions for Turkey
Happy Holidays!
Tuesday, November 22, 2011
Monday, November 21, 2011
Thanksgiving!
May your holiday be filled with laughter and love! Happy Thanksgiving Everyone!!!
Tuesday, November 8, 2011
Chef Katie and the Ovenbird Bakery-Profile
Flour was being measured, hands gently yet firmly kneaded the dough, ovens were warming and the smell of sweet pastry filled the air. Just as the sun started to rise, the bakery was filled with artisan breads, scones, and hungry patrons awaiting their breakfast.
Opening your own business, can be a challenge. What is one to expect? Is it worth the time and effort? Chef Katie Schaub has some important insight into what it takes to go from employee to employer. Six months ago she opened the Ovenbird bakery.
Schaub has worked the morning shift, the mid-day shift and is currently on graveyard, each shift much longer than a simple eight hours, for her bakery, the Ovenbird. It is quite different from the Monday-Friday from 7:00am-3:00pm shift that Schaub worked for years at Linn-Benton Community College.
The Ovenbird bakery, open Tuesday-Saturday, is a cute little shop right in the heart of downtown Independence. Coffee and tea is served along side fresh breads of the season. Many say it is a must visit.
Student's and faculty alike miss Schaub's presence in the LBCC kitchen. "I like her teaching style. She[Chef Schaub] took a very hands-on approach. She took the time to show each student what they really needed to do." Said Josh Brinkerhoff, a former student of Schaub's. Brinkerhoff really felt like he learned a lot from Schaub and is looking forward to visiting her bakery.
Chef Kathy Body, a former co-worker, said that not much, as far as procedure, in the LBCC kitchen has changed, ". . .but we miss her distinctive laugh."
When asked what Schaub's best qualities were Body said that the list went on and on as far as good qualities go. "Capable, dependable, calm, cool, collective, funny!" These are all qualities a good teacher and a good business owner needs to be successful.
Everyone, including Schaub's husband, Neal Schaub, wanted nothing but the best for the bakery. "She had spoken off and on about opening her own bakery. It was a dream of hers. I figured it was something she would do when she retired to keep herself busy. But LBCC was starting to take a toll on her, especially after the incident with the student that killed his family."[more on this story here]
Mr. Schaub had his fears. "She is a nurturer right down to the core and I knew she needed this. It made me feel a little anxious because I was unemployed at the time she first started. But I couldn't, in any good conscience, keep her from doing it. I do what I can to help and show support, like sweeping the floor and taking out the garbage at the bakery."
Schaub had to admit that the idea of having her own bakery was something she had "kicked around" for years. Her fear was that she would not be successful because of a few weaknesses she felt held her back. "Not being very good at keeping up with the books, the paperwork, is not a flattering quality for a business owner. It turned out I had a couple friends that were just as interested as I was about opening a bakery. The great thing was that, they possessed the qualities I lacked and vice-versa. Together we all balance each other out."
Q: Where did you go to college?
A: Linn-Benton Community College. I never left, they hired me right at graduation. I started off as a production baker.
Q: Have you always enjoyed baking?
A: Oh, ever since I was a little kid.
Q: Who is your hero?
A: Hmmm. . .One definition I've heard about generation X is that we don't have hero's, and to tell you the truth there is nobody I would characterize that way. There are a lot of people I deeply admire.
Q: Such as?
A: I love Jamie Oliver's momentum he has for natural foods.[Jamie Oliver, sometimes known as The Naked Chef, is an English chef, known for his food-focused television shows, cookbooks and more recently his campaign against the use of processed foods in national schools]
Q: What are you passionate about outside of work?
A: Well, it is still in the realm of food. Wild harvesting, from scratch production. Just today for example, I am boiling some beef bones, that a butcher was going to just toss out, to make my own stock. I love cooking with ingredients that others may take for granted.
Q: What is your favorite vacation spot?
A: I've had a good time in a lot of different places. I have been to Kenya, Brazil, Ecuador, Germany, France, but the Oregon Coast always wins my heart.
Q: What made you want to become a chef?
A: Let's see, how do I even word it? It was almost by default. Cooking/Baking was a favorite hobby of mine. I didn't want to burn out my favorite hobby but I took a job as a baker just because I needed to pay some bills. Turns out I could bake for 12 hours at work, loving it, especially the sourdough production, and still come home and enjoy it as a hobby.
Q: What kind of music do you like?
A: [with a quirky smile and mischievous laugh] NICKELBACK!
Q: Tell me something about yourself that most people don't know.
A: I run my mouth about pretty much everything, so I don't think there would be many surprises!
Q: What is the craziest thing you have ever done?
A: Hmmm. Okay I have got one but I am not going to tell!
Q: Common, give up the dirt.
A: Okay, okay. When I was a teenager, and did not have neighbors nearby, I used to love to run naked in a thunderstorm!
Q: I might have to try that sometime!
A: It is very exhilarating! You feel very close to nature!
Q: What advice would you give to someone wanting to start their own business?
A: Plan on spending double the time and double the money you originally estimate. But it will be worth it in the end.
At a Glance:
Who: Chef Katie Schaub
Education- Linn-Benton Community College
Business-Ovenbird Bakery, open Mon-Sat 7am-6pm, located 215 S Main St. Independence Oregon. 503-837-0109
Family-Husband, Neal Schaub
What? From Employee to Employer
Opening your own business, can be a challenge. What is one to expect? Is it worth the time and effort? Chef Katie Schaub has some important insight into what it takes to go from employee to employer. Six months ago she opened the Ovenbird bakery.
Schaub has worked the morning shift, the mid-day shift and is currently on graveyard, each shift much longer than a simple eight hours, for her bakery, the Ovenbird. It is quite different from the Monday-Friday from 7:00am-3:00pm shift that Schaub worked for years at Linn-Benton Community College.
The Ovenbird bakery, open Tuesday-Saturday, is a cute little shop right in the heart of downtown Independence. Coffee and tea is served along side fresh breads of the season. Many say it is a must visit.
Student's and faculty alike miss Schaub's presence in the LBCC kitchen. "I like her teaching style. She[Chef Schaub] took a very hands-on approach. She took the time to show each student what they really needed to do." Said Josh Brinkerhoff, a former student of Schaub's. Brinkerhoff really felt like he learned a lot from Schaub and is looking forward to visiting her bakery.
Chef Kathy Body, a former co-worker, said that not much, as far as procedure, in the LBCC kitchen has changed, ". . .but we miss her distinctive laugh."
When asked what Schaub's best qualities were Body said that the list went on and on as far as good qualities go. "Capable, dependable, calm, cool, collective, funny!" These are all qualities a good teacher and a good business owner needs to be successful.
Everyone, including Schaub's husband, Neal Schaub, wanted nothing but the best for the bakery. "She had spoken off and on about opening her own bakery. It was a dream of hers. I figured it was something she would do when she retired to keep herself busy. But LBCC was starting to take a toll on her, especially after the incident with the student that killed his family."[more on this story here]
Mr. Schaub had his fears. "She is a nurturer right down to the core and I knew she needed this. It made me feel a little anxious because I was unemployed at the time she first started. But I couldn't, in any good conscience, keep her from doing it. I do what I can to help and show support, like sweeping the floor and taking out the garbage at the bakery."
Schaub had to admit that the idea of having her own bakery was something she had "kicked around" for years. Her fear was that she would not be successful because of a few weaknesses she felt held her back. "Not being very good at keeping up with the books, the paperwork, is not a flattering quality for a business owner. It turned out I had a couple friends that were just as interested as I was about opening a bakery. The great thing was that, they possessed the qualities I lacked and vice-versa. Together we all balance each other out."
Q: Where did you go to college?
A: Linn-Benton Community College. I never left, they hired me right at graduation. I started off as a production baker.
Q: Have you always enjoyed baking?
A: Oh, ever since I was a little kid.
Q: Who is your hero?
A: Hmmm. . .One definition I've heard about generation X is that we don't have hero's, and to tell you the truth there is nobody I would characterize that way. There are a lot of people I deeply admire.
Q: Such as?
A: I love Jamie Oliver's momentum he has for natural foods.[Jamie Oliver, sometimes known as The Naked Chef, is an English chef, known for his food-focused television shows, cookbooks and more recently his campaign against the use of processed foods in national schools]
Q: What are you passionate about outside of work?
A: Well, it is still in the realm of food. Wild harvesting, from scratch production. Just today for example, I am boiling some beef bones, that a butcher was going to just toss out, to make my own stock. I love cooking with ingredients that others may take for granted.
Q: What is your favorite vacation spot?
A: I've had a good time in a lot of different places. I have been to Kenya, Brazil, Ecuador, Germany, France, but the Oregon Coast always wins my heart.
Q: What made you want to become a chef?
A: Let's see, how do I even word it? It was almost by default. Cooking/Baking was a favorite hobby of mine. I didn't want to burn out my favorite hobby but I took a job as a baker just because I needed to pay some bills. Turns out I could bake for 12 hours at work, loving it, especially the sourdough production, and still come home and enjoy it as a hobby.
Q: What kind of music do you like?
A: [with a quirky smile and mischievous laugh] NICKELBACK!
Q: Tell me something about yourself that most people don't know.
A: I run my mouth about pretty much everything, so I don't think there would be many surprises!
Q: What is the craziest thing you have ever done?
A: Hmmm. Okay I have got one but I am not going to tell!
Q: Common, give up the dirt.
A: Okay, okay. When I was a teenager, and did not have neighbors nearby, I used to love to run naked in a thunderstorm!
Q: I might have to try that sometime!
A: It is very exhilarating! You feel very close to nature!
Q: What advice would you give to someone wanting to start their own business?
A: Plan on spending double the time and double the money you originally estimate. But it will be worth it in the end.
At a Glance:
Who: Chef Katie Schaub
Education- Linn-Benton Community College
Business-Ovenbird Bakery, open Mon-Sat 7am-6pm, located 215 S Main St. Independence Oregon. 503-837-0109
Family-Husband, Neal Schaub
What? From Employee to Employer
Monday, November 7, 2011
Awesome Meals Under$10-Breakfast Sandwich
Ingredients:
Bread- 2 slices per sandwich on sale at Roth’s $.99 Oroweat
Eggs- 1 per sandwich ½ dozen $.70 Olympia
Bacon- 2 slices per sandwich (I use turkey bacon, it is half the fat and all the yummy taste) $2.08 Jenny-O at Wal-Mart
Onion-1/4 cup, sliced $.69/lb at Safeway
Potato- 1 red potato $.63/lb at Wal-Mart
Cheese- 1 slice per sandwich $1.18 Sandwich Make at Wal-Mart
Apple- sliced into 8 pieces $.97/lb choose from red or green at Wal-Mart
Total $7.24
1.
- Heat your pan and add 3TB of oil once warm
- While pan is heating slice you potato and onion
- Once oil is warm add you potato and onion, cook till done(don’t forget to add salt and pepper)
- In a separate pan, once potato and onion are almost done, cook your bacon
- Once bacon is done remove and save
- In the same pan as the bacon add 1 tsp oil to coat the pan
- Cook egg in the bacon pan, 1 at a time(don’t forget to add salt and pepper)
- While egg is cooking toast your bread and slice your cheese
- Now you put the sandwich together, slice your apple to use as your side dish, serve and enjoy!
Have fun mixing it up with breakfast for dinner. See you next soon!
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